p-eitchaed



'(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. L. PRITUHARD. r

, v GARRIAGEIOP; No. 299,937. Patented June-3, 1884.

(M0de1 j 2 Sheets-$119692.

G. L. PRITCHARD.

, CARRIAGE TOP. No; 299,937. PatentedJune a, 1884.!

n. warms. wmmmqn m h p. hhhh hhhh r;

, UNITED I STATES,

PATENT OFFICE-O fcHAnLns L. rnrronnnn, or DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR ononnnnnr o JOHN KUNTZ, or SAME PLACE.

CARRlAGE -TOP.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known th at I, CHARLES L. PRITCHARD, ofDubuque in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Carriage-Tops; and I dohereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates tocertain improve ments in the construction ofcarriage-tops; and p it consists, first, in the employment of anovelconstructed and arranged device in connection with the joints of thebrace supporting the carriage-top for locking and unlocking said brace;second, in the employment of apeculiarly c011- structed and arrangedlockin g device in connection with the joints of the brace between,

ly the principal features of iny invention.

The carriage-top sh own has only three bows;

but my device may be used as well or better with a four-bowed top. i

A B O are the three bows which form the frame-work of the carriage-top.From A to 13,

. er distance than c from A, and passes through a hole iuthe end of thebrace EF, terminating finally in a knob or button.

G is the rail passingaround and above the seat,which forms the basis andsupport for the 59 top. Froma point nearits rear end the projection (Zextends out horizontally to the same distance as Z), passingthrough thehole in the end of the brace E F. This brace E F is for the purpose ofraising or lowering the entire top, and is formed in two parts fittingtogether in the middle, the lower part, F, projecting up some distancewithin the part E, and both parts being joined by the bolt awhich actsas apivot on which. they turn. From thepart F thelugs 60 ff project, andbetween them passes the lever h,while the bolt 1' passes through bothlugs and the lever, so as to form a fulcrum on which the latter moves upand down. The upper end of the lever is flat, and from it projectsk,which, 6

I when that end of the lever is depressed, enters the hole Z,'whichpasses through both E and F. I The other end of the lever is formed intoa thu1nbpiece, and has also a projection entering a hole in the piece F,and having coiled about it the spiral spring a. WVhen the brace E Fisstraight and the carriage-top upright, 7;

is within the hole Z, and the jointis keptlocked and not allowed toturn; but on pressing the thumb-piece the spring a is compressed and 7the projection k raised from its hole, allowing the brace to be brokenupward and the top to be thrown back until the how 0 rests upon theprojection cl. Then the pressure is removed from the spring, that end ofthelever isthrown back, and the projection it again enters the hole Z,its end projecting from the hole and preventing brace from beingstraightened until the spring is again compressed and the lever raised.In a four-bowed carriage-top the front 8 5 end of the brace E Fisattached to the third bow from the front. I For folding together therear bows, B G, I use a brace of a different construction. In usingbraces for this purpose there have always 0 been some difficulties toencounter. brace is arranged to break upward, it injures the top, and ifit breaks downward the jar to which it is exposed would unlock it, sothat it might open when least desired to do so. I 5 have endeavored toobviate these difficulties by constructing abrace which will breakdownward, but is fastened so that it cannot move of If the itself. I Jare the two parts of this brace. On the outside of the part J, oppositethe joint, is cast the, circular plate 0, having in its periphery anotch, r. In connection with this plate is the catch 8, pivoted on I,and provided with a handle, t, on the inside of the carriage. When thehandle is raised, the brace then being in its natural position and thetop up, the catch 5' is within the notch r, so that the parts of thebrace are prevented from turning on each other; but by pressing on thehandle the catch is raised and the joint unlocked, so that the bows maybe folded together. A spring within the brace I acts to return the catchto itsposition when the pressure is removed from the handle. The rail orbase Gpasses around the back of the carriage to a distance equal to thewidth of one of the rear quarter-curtains, and has its end attached tothe back of the seat. Its inner surface is convex. Passing across theback of the carriage, inside the rail and parallel with it, is the metalstrip K, also equal in length to the width of the quartercurtain, havinga concave surface which fits against the convex surface of G. Frompointsnear each. .end of K project the screw-threaded bolts o, n, which passthrough holes in the rail G, and are secured on the outside by nuts.

L is the rear curtain, which passes between G and K, and, the nuts beingscrewed up tightly, is firmly held in its place. This arrangement is animprovement on those somewhat similar fastenings wherein two metalstrips are em 1. A carriage-brace for the purpose set forth, I

consisting of the parts E F,pivoted together to break upward, saidpivoted ends being provided with holes Z, and adapted to beopened andclosed by means of the lever h, having a projection, is, and the springa, all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as describedand shown.

2. The combination ,with the perforated con- Vex shifting-rail G, of theconcave metal strip K, provided with bolts 1) 21, whereby the two areheld together, and betweenwhich the back quartencurtain is clamped andheld between the said rail and strip without being perforated,substantially as described and shown.

This specification signed and witnessed this eleventh (11th) day .ofNovember, 1880.

" CHARLES L. PRITCHARD.

\Vitnesses:

MONROE M. OADY, E. 'BEILER.

Bythe use of 3 5 It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No.299,937Jgranted June 3, 1884, upon the application of Uhzn'les L.Pritehard, of Duhnque, Iowa, for an improvement in Carriage Tops, waserroneously issued to the said Charles L. Pritehzu-d and John Kuntz, asassigneeufune-hali'interest therein; that the patent should have beengranted to the said Charles L. Pritchm'd as owner of the entireinterest; and that the proper correction has been made in the files andrecords pertaining .to the ease in the Patent Office, and should be readin the Letters Patent to make it confer-1n thereto.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 24th day of J mm, A. D. 1884.

[SEAL] M. L. JOSLYN,

Acting Secretary of the Interior.

Gountersigned BENJ. BUTTERWURTH,

Commissioner of Patents.

